the state health insurance exchange is a key component to the obama care. it allows millions of middle class households as well as small businesses to shop for private insurance. states must decide by next friday if they want to set up their own exchange. they will -- they were allowed more time to mull over the decision after many republican governors delayed action. perhaps expecting a different outcome to the presidential election. new jersey is just the latest state with a republican governor to opt for the federal government to step in and create the exchange. let's turn to former vermont governor howard dean and former chairman of the dnc and contributor to cnbc. governor dean, good to have you with us tonight. i think you know this whole story well. these republican governors want these exchanges simply to fail, but is it actually in a way better to have the federal government step in and get that infrastructure if we want to expand it down the road someday? how do you see it? >> well, that's the interesting thing. the republicans at this point are c